“Winning at Sales”

1. “Winning at Sales” CDC “Fridays @ the Corridor” “Growing Your Business” Series April 16, 2010 Tom Leonard

2. My Goals • 1) Enhanced Understanding of the Buying/Selling Process (BSP) • 2) How to Improve your Sales Process • 3) Ultimately CLOSE More Sales

3. Tom Leonard – Can this guy Sell? • Graduated Cornell University • Recruited to sell Soap for Procter & Gamble • 1 year sales, 3 yrs sales management • At Wilson Spt. Goods: Sales Mgt, VP Marketing, VP Sales • Samsonite Luggage: VP Mkt, VP Sales & Mkt • President age 40-49 • President 4 Co’s (Ajay Spts, Pro Golf Disct., Aspen Pet Products & Dippin’ Dots Ice Cream) • Started Leonard Strategic Advantage last fall • “Truly help clients prosper -- and have fun doing it!”

4. Ground Rules • When you have a Question….ASK • Not a Soliloquy • Will be Group Participation…

5. “What do each of you consider a Sale?” • TL reading: “Getting someone to understand/accept your point of view • then Sign the Order!” (TL: CLOSE!) • Zig Zigler: “The Transference of Feeling”

6. ZZ: “The Transference of Feeling” • = Passion! • For what you Do! • For what you feel! • To “Win at Sales”: the ability to transfer your feelings to the prospect • And ASK for the business

7. Q1: What’s your Closing Rate? • Q2: Why do you think it’s so different? • Very often it‘s Our Attitudes • SMILE & Maintain a Positive/Winning Attitude

8. The Buying/Selling Process (BSP) • 1) Introduction • 2) Gaining Favorable Attention • 3) Discovering Wants & Needs • 4) Presenting Benefits & Consequences • 5) Getting Commitment • 6) Follow Up/Execution

9. Suspect vs. Prospect • What is a Suspect? • Answer: someone in your Target Market • What is a Prospect? • 1) Decision Maker • 2) Has a Need/Desire • 3) Ability to Pay

10. Rules for the Buying/Selling Process • R1: Think of Traffic Lights – Green, Red, Yellow • Need a Green/”Allowance” to move to the next step • How do you know? • Body Language – eyes/ears, watch/listen

11. Rules for the Buying/Selling Process • R2: Start at the beginning of the process on each new meeting • People like to warm-up • Confirm Facts before proceeding

12. Rules for the Buying/Selling Process • R3: Listen Carefully • To what they say • So you can tie back your benefits and strengths to their needs • Listening -- is Key

13. BSP Step One: Introduction • Two Keys • 1) Their Name • 2) SMILE – Make them Smile • Maintain eye contact • Green Light?

14. Step Two: Gaining Favorable Attention • Where you build rapport • Focus on your prospect/buyer • Listen • Could be asked to describe “what do you do?” • “Elevator Pitch” • Value Statement

15. “What Makes a Good Value Statement?” • Creates interest in you • Defines the Value you bring to clients • Gives person a reason to continue the discussion • Sell yourself – before you can sell a product or service

16. Here’s my Value Statement… • “I help people Measurably Improve… • Both their Business • And their Lives!”

17. Your Value Statement… • Bottom Line: • Be natural for you • Communicate Your Passion – for what you do

18. BSP 3: Discovering Wants & Needs • The point where most people have Trouble • THE #1 – or #2 Importance Step • Come in & Present what your company can do… - You have probably run a Red Light! • Need to find out about your Prospect’s Company • W/W/W/W/H/W

19. Questions need to be Open-ended • Avoid Yes/No questions… (w/w/w/w/h/w) • Goals of Step 3… • Reinforce your rapport & credibility • Gain complete understanding of the prospect’s situation • Let the prospect tell you how to help them buy from you • Stimulate the prospect's Interest & Urgency

20. Tips -- for Discovering Wants & Needs • 1) 80/20 Rule – Listen 80%, Talk 20% • Better you listen, the Smarter you’ll be perceived • 2) Refrain from Evaluating/Judging the info shared • Stay Focused to gather thoughts/facts • Listen for opportunities – vs. present solutions • 3) Most of your questions should be open-ended (w/w/w/w/h/w)

21. BSP 3 Questioning Tips • 4) IF prospect refuses to answer, or gets defensive… • change to a more comfortable topic and return later • 5) Be Alert to your prospect’s behavior • Will guide you though the process • 6) Resist the Urge to talk about solutions

22. Questioning Techniques • What categories for questioning? • 1) Goal/Problem solving • 2) General/Situational • 3) Consequence/Reward • 4) Decision making

23. 1) Goal/Problem Solving • What are you trying to accomplish in your organization? • What kind of challenges do you currently face? • What are the goals of the department? How do they align with the corporation’s goals and directions?

24. 2) General/Situational • What changes have you seen in your industry? • What have been the significant events that have formed and shaped the organization? • What can you tell me about your business?

25. 3) Consequence/Reward • How will the organization benefit if you are able to meet your goals (reward)? • What’s the impact of not meeting your sales goals (Consequence)?

26. 4) Decision Making • Please describe the decision making process for this project? • What do you want to see in a proposal? Who will need to review it? • Has a budget been established? • Is there anything else?

27. BSP 3: Questioning Techniques • Write out examples of each type as it relates to your business…. • 1) Goal/Problem Solving • 2) General/Situational • 3) Consequence/Reward • 4) Decision Making

28. BSP 3: Discovering Wants & Needs • Not solving their problem or fixing something • Understating the Scope of the issue • Often this is the end of meeting #1/time • Be respectful of their time • Schedule a follow-up appointment • “Have some ideas that I want to formalize”

29. BSP 3: Post Meeting • Determine if you have enough information to move to the next step • If not, “start” the next meeting with questions on the other information you need • If yes, then ready for…

30. BSP Step 4: Presenting Benefits & Consequences • Now you can talk about your capabilities • And how your company can help • Reestablish Rapport & Review the Situation • As you understand it • Make sure your prospect has bought into the issues • And has a desire or need to solve them

31. BSP 4: Benefits & Consequences • KEY: match your features/benefits to the specific needs/issues from the discovery process • TL: Problem/Solution • Opportunity/How to capture it • Cost/Savings

32. BSP Step 4: Presenting Benefits & Consequences • Goal of this Phase: help prospect make positive decision to do Business with You! • May involve a presentation • Or a casual conversation • Let the prospect decide

33. BSP 4: Benefits & Consequences • Proposals – often a prospect will ask for one • Be careful – • Ask the prospect what they need • To make a decision • To do business with you

34. BSP 4: Benefits & Consequences • Proposals may NOT be required • But can be typical Next Step • Attempt to calculate the Return on Investment • Make your Solutions tangible • Aid to your prospect • Allows them to Focus on your Products/Services

35. Step 4: Benefits & Consequences • If proposal required, find out… • What’s required • Who the audience is • How it should be presented • You always want to present solutions in person!

36. BSP 4: Benefits & Consequences • When presenting, demonstrate… • Thorough understanding of the situation • The Objectives you will help them achieve • Your approach (achieving objectives) • Measurable outcomes

37. BSP Step 4 • When presenting, demonstrate… • A Return on Investments (ROI), if possible • How long it will take • What is the Investment • Use the Term Investment -- vs. Cost • A convincing Summary

38. BSP Step 4: Benefits • Power Point or handout Proposal • Limit your slide to six bullet points! • And no more than six words per bullet point! • Once all objections/clarification met… • Getting commitment should be Natural Conclusion

39. Step 5: Getting Commitment • Look for commitment at each step • Does not mean you're closing at each step… • But permission to move to next step (BSP) • Here – you are trying to CLOSE the deal • Closing should be a natural outcome of the Process…

40. BSP 5: CLOSE! • No guarantee you will CLOSE • But if you stick to the BSP… • Your CLOSE ratio will dramatically increase! • Read body language • You need to ask for the business/order • Should be natural conclusion… • If you’ve gotten commitment along the way

41. BSP 6: Follow-up Execution • Make sure the sale doesn’t end at the presentation • For some: sales only/hunting • For others: sell and execute what sold • Bottom line: understand your Role

42. BSP Step 6: Follow-up/Execution • Make sure you follow-up – do it well • Continue to establish rapport • Maintain your relationship w/ Decision Maker • Look for opportunities to develop relationships throughout the organization • Look to Over-Deliver • And create value throughout the organization • Look for Opportunities for more business • “Round Up”

43. The Buying/Selling Process • 1) Introduction • 2) Gaining Favorable Attention • 3) Discovering Wants & Needs • 4) Presenting Benefits & Consequences • 5) Getting Commitment – CLOSE • 6) Follow-up & Execution

44. Today’s Goals/Objectives • 1) Enhanced Understanding of the Buying/Selling Process (BSP) • 2) How to Improve Your Sales Process • 3) Ultimately CLOSE More Sales

45. Next Steps • Go out and apply the Principles learned today! • And Close more sales! • CDC “Sales Skills” Seminar possibility…. • Interest level……?

46. Questions…? • Tom Leonard • Leonard Strategic Advantage • Tom@LeonardStategicAdvantage.com • 303-803-6988 • www.LeonardStrategicAdvantage.com